Is your website traffic heading south? Google AI Overviews might be the reason. According to recent studies, these generative snippets are eating away clicks from organic search, with reports showing a 34.5% drop in click-through rate (CTR) for top-ranking pages.
It is no small dent for anyone who is operating online. It has become a major headache for bloggers, media houses and small businesses. At TechThirsty, we’ve been tracking the trend and here’s everything you should know.
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What is Really Happening with Google AI Overviews?
AI Overviews are Google’s way of serving users a summary right at the top of the search page. It sounds helpful for users, but definitely not for publishers.
Instead of clicking to your carefully crafted article, people often get their answers straight from that AI-generated box. It is proving catastrophic for niches sites, which are reporting traffic losses as high as 70%. Even generally, zero-click searches are exploding. Users were almost half as likely to click a link when an AI summary appears.
Google’s AI overviews are also contributing to the authority bias as artificial intelligence tends to prefer citing strong, trusted sites. Besides, it is killing generic content that used to be bread and butter for beginners. Summaries don’t need you if you’re just rehashing.
6 Smart SEO Fixes to Survive the AI Era
The aforementioned shift doesn’t have to mean SEO is dead. It just means the game is changing and you must adapt to the new rules. Brands now need to rethink how they create content that valuable both Google’s AI and human readers.
Write for AI, Not Just Humans
Use clear Q&A headings and structured data layout so Google can easily parse your content.
Track the Right Metrics
Review your impressions vs clicks statistics in Search Console. If your impressions are relatively stable and clicks are dropping, AI summaries are stealing your thunder.
Add Real Value
Include analysis, case studies, original data or even personal insights — things AI can’t auto-summarise.
Strengthen Your Authority
Let your brand name appear as a trusted source — earn backlinks, cite credible research and keep content updated with the latest figures.
Diversify Traffic Sources
You should also diversify your sources for traffic by pushing harder on newsletters, social media, YouTube, and communities like Reddit or LinkedIn.
Use Engaging Formats
Additionally, the use of infographics, videos and comparison tables can entice users to click for the full story instead of settling for summaries.
The Bottom Line
Google’s AI updates aren’t killing SEO but rewriting its rules. If your site has seen traffic fall off a cliff, don’t panic. Instead, retool your content to stand out, offer depth and diversify sources beyond search.
As artificial intelligence enters the picture, it is no longer just about ranking on page one anymore. It’s about being the source Google trusts and the site readers choose to click anyway.
Also read: Our Top Safety Picks for AI-Powered Cybersecurity in 2025
